Basing a horror film on a true story is not the easiest task in the world of film-making, but writer and director John Michael Elfers gives it a good go in ‘Finale’, a film based on his experiences after his older brother committed suicide when he was just 12 years old.

The plot centres on grieving mother Helen (Carolyn Von Hauck) trying to prove her eldest son did not hang himself. As she descends further into denial and paranoia, her investigation threatens her relationship with daughter Kathryn (Suthi Picotte) and she decides the only way out is to follow the path chosen by her son. Elfers’ mother believed her son had died as a result of a planned sacrifice of a demonic cult.

Shot in super 16mm film in the style of a 1970s Italian gialli – which literally means ‘yellow’ in English - ‘Finale’ certainly looks stylish, with the old-school 70s feel captured to perfection. Von Hauck does a very good job of portraying a mother driven to extreme delusions by her grief, directly affecting those around her.
Unlike most plots based on reality, Elfers does not fall into the trap of turning the film into a sympathetic tribute to his mother. The tension is ramped up throughout and there are plenty of chills and thrills to keep you hidden behind a cushion.

That’s not to say this film is without its faults. The ending is given away before it even begins and is pretty predictable fare. Most of the other characters feel like they’ve been shoehorned in without much thought as to where they fit into the plot.

What lets this down as a DVD however is the special features, which consist of just a trailer and four deleted scenes. A director’s commentary would add least help provide the story with some human context.
Overall, this is a solid horror film, let down by its real-life story and a hardly ground-breaking set of features.

Film verdict: A stylish horror that is let down by a rather predictable ending

DVD Extras

Hardly ground-breaking and the lack of a director’s commentary does not help matters 3/10